Ink Carnations
by VocaloidWriter
Summary: Marinette hadn't paid any mind to the flower shop across the street, as she had been focused on her tattoo business for the past month. However, Adrien, the florist, had caught her eye, and he'd be a good friend to have. She could practice her art on him, and use his flowers as reference! Yes, that was the plan. Friends. [Using meru90's tattoo artist and florist AU.]
1. Daffodils

Marinette Dupain-Cheng took in a deep breath, proudly grinning at the new sign in front of her shop. It was big, red and glowing, spelling out "Ladybug" in a fancy text. The subtext read "Tattoo Parlor" and had the shop's phone number glowing underneath it. The young artist sighed dreamily, then stepping back into her new place.

Since Marinette had been a young girl, she knew she wanted to become an artist. Well, next to a teacher, architect, model, zoologist, and fashion designer. However, her parents could tell she had a knack for art. They said that she was the lucky one in the family, the latest generation with the "art gene." Marinette couldn't help but agree; her friends had always complimented her work. Her favorite muses of all had been flowers, due to their delicacy. They never ( _usually_ ) moved and they always looked so… _fresh_ , vibrant. She adored carnations, especially pink ones.

When Marinette had been asked what she had wanted to do with her art, she had thought hard. The young woman wanted to make an impact, and she wanted to work close with people. She wanted to make her mark, but also wanted to make people happy. That's when "tattoo artist" popped into her head, and her parents immediately supported her, raising money for her tattoo parlor.

And there she was, a month into her profession, somewhat close to broke.

The dark-haired girl sighed, tying her short hair into a short, low ponytail. She had only been open for a few hours, and she hoped that someone, anyone, would show up. Her bird, a scarlet tanager named Tikki, flew near her shoulders, chirping happily towards the shop window. Marinette smiled down at her companion.

"Ah, Tikki, you're always so happy," Marinette laughed, heading towards the cash register as Tikki flew closer towards the shop window. The short girl counted up her week's earnings, which was only about €650. She was starting to get annoyed by Tikki's constant chirping; while Marinette loved the bird, she was nearly ready to rip her small pet's feathers out.

"What it is that you want?" she shouted, angrily stomping towards the window. That's when she came upon a realization: Tikki had a good taste in men.

* * *

Adrien Agreste looked outside his window and across the street to see a young woman, probably in her early twenties, puffing her chest out proudly at her new sign. She was dressed intricately, in pink shorts and suspenders, along with a plain black tee. The blond couldn't guess what brand the designs were from, so he took a wild guess and assumed she made it all herself. The thing he liked most were the tattoos of flowers on her arms and their detailed looks. He smiled at her childish antics, returning back to petting his cat, Plagg.

Only a month ago, Adrien had opened his shop, Chat Noir, to escape his duties given to him by his father, the one and only Gabriel Agreste. He had hated working with his father, so he had decided to choose something that had always caught his eye: flowers.

Adrien, as described by his friends, family, and former co-workers, was a flower. They had described him as delicate as a flower, a fresh face. When he was young, his mother had influenced his main interest in flowers. Her profession was also as a florist, and that made Adrien want to become a florist too. Gabriel, _however_ , had other plans, which were to make Adrien invest his time in the fashion industry, but the boy protested against it. No wonder he hadn't seen his mother in a while.

Now a young man, Adrien pushed his glasses back up, as they had nearly fallen off the tip of his nose again. Plagg stretched out his legs as his owner walked over to his main display of flowers. The black cat jumped up onto a hanging swing, which Adrien had made for him so he could sit in the window, and he spotted a small bird, a red and black one, across the street. He commenced a staring between them, meowing at his future lunch.

In a semi-quiet voice, Adrien asked the cat, "Plagg, what'cha see outside?" He headed back towards the cat, caressing the back of his cat's ears. That's when he realized that Plagg had one good purpose: he had a good taste in women.

* * *

Marinette stared at the young man through the window, her face turning as red as Tikki's feathers. His honey-like hair looked as fluffy and bouncy as clouds, and he had a soft smile. She could make out a form-fitting purple shirt, khakis and a light yellow apron. He looked like an angel in Paris.

The dark-haired woman covered her cooling cheeks, embarrassed. _Yes_ , he was good-looking, but he was also…very quiet-looking. She couldn't help but imagine his soft voice as she continued to stare at him, her eyes scanning over his large build. Her cheeks warmed up some more, and she quickly turned around to hurry back to the cash register and pretend that she didn't look weird to the new stranger that had waltzed into her life.

Meanwhile, Adrien searched for her through the window, seeing as she had retreated. His face was a crimson color, and Plagg meowed at him, as if to say, " _Well_ , look at the lovesick idiot we have here!" He took his glasses off, blinked twice, and put them back on. Had this special girl been an illusion? No, he was _sure_ she'd been there, because he had seen her earlier, and seeing her beauty sent chills down his spine.

The florist once again returned to his collection of flowers, deciding that this girl seemed nice, confident, and outgoing, based on her actions. What would he give her as a gift of his newfound affec- _no_. His newfound… _interest_. Yes, _interest_ was the word. What flower was suitable as a gift for a new acquaintance?

Adrien's eyes settled on a bright yellow bunch of daffodils. Ah, _daffodils_ , classic. Adrien could recall that daffodils were a symbol of rebirth, or new beginnings, as well as eternal life. They were also indicative of unrequited love, because as far as the florist knew, his feelings were one-sided. She had made his stomach flop with one glance, and she probably thought he was some anxious nerd. He'd just have to prove himself then.

His nimble fingers took a single daffodil out of the vase it had been in, and he hesitated. If he remembered correctly, a single daffodil meant misfortune, while a bunch meant happiness and joy. With the verdict set, the young man grabbed the entire vase, his cat (who started to cling to the cushion of his small swing for dear life, but gave up, seeing as fighting it would be of no use,) and a pencil, just in case.

Across the street, Tikki chirped at Marinette, as if to say, "Hey, he's coming over! At least look _presentable_!" Said lady rose from behind the cash register and shut her eyes, taking in a deep breath. She had to make a good impression on him, because this would be her only chance. When she opened her eyes, she looked at him through the glass door as he smiled. He was carrying an entire vase of flowers in one arm, which, if she remembered correctly, were daffodils. A black cat was sitting with an irritated look in the man's other arm. (Whether the cat was sincerely annoyed or if he just had resting bitch face was a mystery to Marinette. Either way, he was intimidating.) She could see his eyes, which were as green as a fresh spring lawn.

Somehow, the young man was able to enter the tattoo parlor without dropping the flowers or the cat. (Thus, the dark-haired woman assumed this new… _interest_ of hers was most likely a superhero.) He smiled cheerfully at her, his cheeks tinted pink. "Hi there," he greeted, "I'm Adrien. As you can guess, I own Chat Noir, the flower shop across the street." The blond grinned, making Marinette smile back.

"I'm Marinette!" she started off with. "Over there is my bird, Tikki. O-oh, and this is my tattoo studio, Ladybug!" The small bird chirped at her and landed once again on her shoulder, making the cat meow and swat a paw at her.

"I forgot, this is Plagg!" Adrien started off, adjusting said cat into a comfortable position. "He's a bit… _grumpy_. Anyway, here's some flowers for you! Th-they're on the house! Daffodils represent rebirth and good luck." He held out the vase to her, mostly so he could hide his blush. He saw Marinette's eyes light up.

"R-really?" she asked, dumbfounded. Adrien nodded, and she took the flowers from his grasp and set them next to the cash register. "Th-thank you so, so much! As you can probably tell, I really like flowers." She laughed, then held out an arm for him to see. She felt the blond's soft skin against hers as he took her wrist and let the cat down, and she knew she had guessed right about him being a gentle person.

Adrien's eyes scanned his new companion's arms, fascinated. It was as though she had actually flowers on her arms, with such great detail. He could see yellow and red roses, a few purple spring crocus, a pink carnation…he absolutely adored her arms. He looked up at Marinette with a childish wonder. "Did you make these?" he asked, dismissing the blush on her face.

"Some of them…mostly the ones closer towards my hands." she said, looking away for a split second, then looked back at him. She heard him murmur something along the lines of "this is amazing" and he let go of her wrist.

"M-M-Marinette, these are _gorgeous_!" Adrien stuttered, pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. He released her arm, albeit reluctantly, and scooped Plagg back up. The cat meowed in protest, as he had been in pursuit of this "Tikki" creature. Marinette laughed at the black cat's higher-pitched meow, then looked back at Adrien.

"Thank you! This may seem cliché and all, but when I was younger, I knew I wanted to make art," began Marinette sheepishly, "and flowers were my favorite muses. Lots of carnations, in fact." She grinned, rubbing the back of her neck. _Oh dear, I probably look like a tomato._

Adrien turned his head to look back at his shop, spotting an older man heading towards it. "Sorry, I've got to go right now. Duty calls!" he apologized, heading towards the door. Plagg took one last swat at the red and black bird, then gave up. "Hopefully you can come to my shop later!" He was already halfway out the door.

"B-bye, Adrien!" Marinette called, cupping her hands. "Visit soon, okay?"

She watched as Adrien walked fully out the door, rushing back over to Chat Noir to open the door for the old man. Plagg's limbs were flying around as his owner jogged across the street, but Marinette couldn't tell whether or not the cat was doing that on purpose. She went to the back and sat down on a stool, hands mushing her cheeks.

"Tikki, I think I'm in love," she mumbled, smiling to herself.

Said bird chirped happily, as if to say, "I can't wait for the wedding!"

* * *

 **VW: Hey guys! It's been a while since I actually wrote this much! Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter! It might seem rushed, and honestly, it probably isn't my best. I'll probably proofread all this later, unless someone offers to be my beta or something like that.**

 **Anyway, my tumblr is marionette-marinette, and I'll also be posting the story there soon. And once again, credit for the AU goes to meru90 on tumblr! Thanks for reading!**

 **Fun fact of the chapter: the title, Ink Carnations, refers to Marinette and Adrien respectively. It also sounds very close to incarnation, which means "one of a series lives that a person is believed to have had in past" and stuff like that. I guess it relates to the term "AU" itself, huh?**

 **Question of the chapter: what's your favorite flower?**


	2. Hyacinths

Ever since Adrien's visit, Marinette had been smiling like an idiot, which had been a day ago. He had charmed her right off her toes with that smile of his. Luckily, only two customers needed her service during that time period, so there weren't too many casualties. However, she would subconsciously admire the daffodils, then doodle them on a piece of scrap paper.

Also, her clumsiness decided to step in afterward.

She was lucky that she didn't trip over in her small parlor space, but her apartment right above was fair game. Marinette had bumped into chairs, tripped over air, and even burned herself during breakfast. If anything, her tiny space had been cursed, with her old friend clumsiness coming by.

Marinette had fallen asleep at the register that night, and boy was she tired. While she hadn't done much, she felt like she deserved a nap. However, she heard her obnoxiously loud alarm clock buzzing from her bedroom, signalling two hours before opening time, and her head shot up.

She mumbled a few curses, racing upstairs to the mirror. The dark-haired woman blinked her eyes, dry sleep still attempting to glue them shut. She rubbed it all out, then took a good look at herself. Her clothes her wrinkled, probably because she had slept on the stool all night, an abnormal position. Her hair was dirty, or more specifically, greasy and knotted up. Bags were starting to form under her eyes, and— _was that a pimple?_ Marinette grimaced, heading towards the shower as she undid her tiny ponytail.

Running her hands through her hair, she shuddered, then turned on the water. This would be one thoughtful shower.

* * *

With an hour until her parlor opened, Marinette ran downstairs, luckily not tripping, and opened her shop door. She sped like a bullet train towards Chat Noir, then lightly knocked on the door, aware his shop wasn't open yet. She was nervous, but took in a deep breath to reassure herself. She heard footsteps from inside the shop, and took a step back.

"Madame Bustier, I told you, the shop and the cat aren't available until eight!" Adrien said, opening the door. He looked down to see Marinette. His cheeks turned a shade of vermilion, stuttering a "sorry" to her. She smiled, then laughed.

"It's okay. I presume Plagg is popular with the ladies?" Marinette asked playfully, wiggling her eyebrows. He looked away, embarrassed.

"Haha, yeah, he can pick up _way_ more ladies than I can," Adrien laughed, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. Marinette could tell he was a bit uncomfortable (because c'mon, admitting that your cat attracts more people than you kinda brings down your self-esteem by a lot,) so she changed the subject. Her eyes searched around for a new topic to discuss, almost desperately.

"So, this is your flower shop?" the dark-haired woman asked, slowly tiptoeing around. Adrien smiled, slowly regaining his confidence.

"Yep! I try to keep it as organized as I can," he explained to her as he looked at the various flowers in his shop. He wanted to offer another flower to her, but which one? (Or, which ones?) There were so many he could give her to express his fondness of her.

"Well, at least all your clothes will smell nice!" Marinette laughed, and Adrien smiled.

"This shop is basically a free scent booster." he mused, chuckling. Then he spotted them: hyacinths. While there were many of them in various colors, he settled on the white ones, reaching out for them while Marinette wasn't looking.

Said woman turned around after being tapped on the shoulder, then spotted a blushing Adrien. "Th-these are for you!" he stuttered, shutting his eyes tightly. He heard Marinette gasp.

"Hyacinths! Thank you!" she said, taking them from his hands. His eyes widened at the fact that she knew what they were.

"Y-you're welcome! Hyacinths represent playfulness and a sporty attitude," Adrien said matter-of-factly, "and these white ones symbolize loveliness." Marinette's cheeks lit up like lights on a Christmas tree.

"M-m-m-m-me?" she stuttered, barely being able to fully pronounce the word without a few tries. "N-no, I'm anything _b-b-but_ lovely! People have always c-considered me a tough person!" Her hands rose up to her face, trying to hide her blush.

"B-but you're so delicate!" Adrien blurted out. "You're a great artist, which shows that you're precise with details and you have a steady hand! Your manners are _fantastic_ , and you're certainly polite!"

The two stood there awkwardly, Marinette's sneakers squeaking. Plagg jumped down from his hiding place, which was covered by hydrangeas, and started weaving in and out of the human's legs, tail shaking while purring. Marinette tried holding in a pile of giggles, but couldn't help it. The cat was just so soft, plus that fact that he kept digging his wet nose into her bare ankle didn't help.

Adrien smiled as he too tried containing laughter. Keyword: tried. They ended up on the floor while crazily laughing, with Marinette picking up Plagg and making him "dance." The duo made up a song of the cat to "dance" to as they screwed around, laughing constantly. The blond sighed, tears at the corners of his eyes.

"Oh my god," he breathed, Marinette giggling. She booped the cat's nose, then let him go. Plagg ran away as fast as a speeding bullet train, as if the human beings would get up and scoop him back into their arms with demonic grins and laughter.

It was tough being a cat.

Meanwhile, Marinette and Adrien stayed sitting crisscrossed on the cold tile, smiling at each other as if they'd been been friends since birth. "Have you visited any of the other shops on the block?" she asked suddenly. He shook his head.

"I haven't really. I know some of the owners though." he answered.

The street that their shops had been set up on were home to a bunch of other stores as well. As far was Marinette had known, they were all smaller shops, nothing corporate. However, Marinette had been much too shy to actually go in and meet the owners.

"Then would you like to come see them with me tomorrow?" she asked. "I'd love to get to at least know what kinds of stores are around. We're bound to find something fun! Plus, we can get to know each other's interests along the way!" Adrien grinned.

"You know I'd _love_ to." he answered dreamily, then paused, clearing his throat. Unfortunately, his scarlet cheeks were out on display. "I mean, yes, it would be nice to take you to the different stores in town." His wording was awkward, but it was one of those things Marinette was already loving about Adrien.

Marinette lunged towards him, like a hunger tiger, and squeezed him tight. "Thank you thank you _thank you!_ " she repeated quickly, grinning.

Oh boy, was he on a joyride.

* * *

 **VW: sorry for the wait! I'll try to update weekly, but please understand, it's been a while since I've written a multichapter fic (yes, I'm talking about my Vocaloid fics.) That, and our school will be testing for another three weeks, plus I've been busy as of late. On the bright side, I'll start posting this fic on my tumblr (marionette-marinette) and AO3 (VocaloidWriter) so it's available on multiple platforms.**

 **Anyway, next chapter, we'll explore the different stores on the block. I've planned them all out, and we'll see the dynamics between the different shopkeepers! Who knows what'll happen…**

 **Oh, and thanks for all the reviews so far! I love being able to interact with my readers!**

 **Fun fact of the chapter: in the story, like stated, the stores are all on the same block. There's still many vacant spots for the future shops!**

 **Answer of the last chapter: I adore gardenias!**

 **Question of the chapter: if you could get a tattoo, where would you get it and what would you get (why is optional!) If you already have a tattoo, you can mention that! Or, would you rather not have a tattoo?**


	3. Alstroemeria

Adrien ducked down into his sink, rubbing his face with hot water. It was finally the day that he and Marinette would go and see the stores on the block. While there were two shops he didn't want to visit in particular, he would do it, for Marinette. He stood up, rubbing his face with a towel, then took a deep breath.

Adrien felt lucky to have an apartment above his store. The man who had built the whole block up one brick at a time, a man know as Mr. Fu, was smart with his building plans. He knew it was convenient to be able to just go downstairs to help a customer, rather than get an annoying call on the phone from an angry customer and having to run over to the shop. Mr. Fu was also the man who sold off the stores, and Adrien remembered meeting him. The older man had lost his cane, and when Adrien found it on that humid day, Fu had thanked him, and asked if he would like to start a business of his own. The rest had been history.

He quickly made his descent into the shop, looking at what to give Marinette today. Finally, he stared down an alstroemeria, otherwise know as the Peruvian lily, or lily of the Incas. They meant "splendid beauty" and friendship, which the blond found perfect. He quickly grabbed them and adjusted his glasses.

Adrien was now officially ready for his… _outing_? It wasn't exactly a date, was it? He was just ready to shop with Marinette.

* * *

Marinette stretched her arms out as she stepped outside of her building, trying to stay under the shade. She knew that a little sunlight wouldn't hurt, but she didn't want to risk a sunburn, especially with her fair skin. That, and she was too lazy to apply sunscreen. Oh, and her shoulders and arms were already littered with freckles. (Long story short, she was practically married to the shade.)

She liked her small store. After saving an older man named Fu from a rushing car, he'd offered her the shop, which had been _awfully_ convenient, considering she had been looking for a place to set up her parlor at the time. Plus, there was a living space right above, so Marinette would never have to rush to work.

She saw Adrien rushing out to meet her, smiling. "Hi Marinette!" he shouted, waving.

Marinette grinned. "Hey Adrien!" she yelled back, running up to hug him. This caught him by surprise, making him tense up, but he quickly relaxed.

She was quick to notice the few Peruvian lilies in his hands and she gasped. "Adrien, these are _beautiful_!"

"Th-thank you. Alstroemeria represent friendship." he said, smiling. "They're for you!"

Her index finger and thumb touched each other's tips as she reached higher up on the stem, and once she had a good grasp on them, he let go. It was a simple passing of flowers to any bystander, but to them it was so much more. It had started to become a tradition, and they unknowingly saw it as romantic. The pass off was quick, mostly due to them not wanting to touch hands.

"So, where'd you like to go first?" Adrien asked her, his face red. She thought for a moment.

"Wanna meet the neighbors?" she asked, and he nodded. They started walking side by side, but it wasn't long before they stood in front of the neighboring store.

Marinette read aloud, "' _Lady Wifi,_ ' huh?" She tilted her head in a quizzical manner.

"Looks like an electronics store." Adrien commented, then held the door open for her. They stepped inside, gawking at the glimmer of phone cases, electronics screens, shiny laptops…

Meanwhile, a woman with dark skin and caramel colored hair was kneeling behind the counter, eyes wide at the adorable couple who had entered her store. The young woman pushed her glasses up, frantically typing away on her phone about the couple. She uttered a small "I ship it" to herself and snapped a photo of the two, making notes on her phone. Finally, she heard the male ask, "Where's the owner?" The young woman popped up cheerfully, curls bouncing.

"Hiya! I'm Alya Césaire, nice to meet you guys!" she said happily, holding out a hand for them to shake. She quickly noticed Marinette's flowers. " _So_ , when's the wedding?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, making the couple turn red-faced.

"Oh non non!" Marinette stuttered, shaking in her shoes.

"It's not like that!" Adrien continued, laughing nervously.

"We're _just_ friends!" they said in sync, then clamped their mouths shut.

Alya smirked. "And this supports my claim," she stated, "anyway, what are your names?"

"I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng. My tattoo parlor, Ladybug, is right next door. Feel free to drop by anytime if you need help or company!" the dark-haired woman stated, smiling gently as her face cooled down. She shook Alya's hand.

"Oh, and I'm Adrien. I own the flower shop diagonal from you, Chat Noir." he said shortly, smiling.

"Do you have a last name, Adrien?" Alya asked, curious. She needed to know what Marinette's name would be when the happy couple would get married.

Adrien turned ghost white, going through a cold sweat. "Ah, well, you could say my last name is… _influential_. Just search up Adrien, you'll find me…" he said quickly, then noticed Alya look up his name.

Alya gasped. "Oh my god…" she trailed, taking his hand. "It's an _honor_!"

He laughed nervously, "Please, Miss Césaire, consider me a friend." He gave her a shaky smile. She nodded. Meanwhile, Marinette gave him a sideways glance. Why was Alya freaking out? Unfortunately, she'd left her phone at home, so she was screwed.

"Well, you two, you should head off if you want to visit the other stores," Alya joked, grinning. Marinette gasped.

"How'd you…?" she asked, and Alya admitted to listening in a bit. Marinette explained that they had to get to the other shops to make acquaintances, and they bid their farewells.

Adrien smiled dreamily. Alya had thought he and Marinette were a couple! It was an exciting thought for him because Marinette…Marinette was a firecracker; chatty, strong, stubborn, and she lived in the moment. Ideally, she was the perfect girl for him, because he always felt like he had been a dull person. Ever since his mother died, his world had faded into grayscale…

"… _iss_ you awake? Adrien? _Sleeping Beauty?_ " he finally heard Marinette ask him, and his entire face heated up, matching scarlet.

"A-ah, _sorry_!" he apologized, shaking. "A-a-and, th-thank you. I p-personally think I'm _handsome_!" His attempt at flirting made Marinette giggle.

They quickly shuffled into the next store, which was called Stormy Weather. The place was adorned with shiny rubber boots, slick raincoats, and pricey-looking umbrellas and parasols. (Luckily, Marinette had found out, they came at a fair price for their stunning quality.) A nice-looking woman with blonde pigtails was fixing a mannequin's hat, while a casually-dressed woman with a dark bob was restocking jackets.

The blonde woman turned to the couple, smiling. Her eyes settled on Adrien, cheeks heating up. "Why hello there, welcome to Stormy Weather. My name is Aurore, how can I help you?" she asked, holding out a card that read "Aurore Beauréal and Mireille Caquet" and included the store's information. Marinette smiled back at her.

"Hi Aurore, I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I own the tattoo shop two doors down, Ladybug." she said in a friendly tone.

"And I'm the owner of Chat Noir, Adrien," her blond partner continued, trying to maintain his nervousness. Again with the missing last name?!

"Oh, I know who _you_ are," Aurore purred, and decided (or attempted) to wink seductively. Marinette couldn't help but feel hurt that everyone knew Adrien except for her. Meanwhile, the girl in the back shot him a flirty glance. Adrien's face screamed "help me" to Marinette, and she scrambled to find his hand with her free hand. Their cheeks turned red and she held the flowers close to her chest.

Marinette smiled nervously, laughing a bit. "I'm sorry, Miss Aurore, but me and my boyfriend have to hurry along. We're in a rush to meet the other owners!" she said quickly, trying to speak as smoothly as possible. "C'mon _Chaton_!"

Marinette's grip on Adrien's hand was like steel. As they started to rush out, Aurore gawked, then shouted to the girl in the back, " _Mireille_ , check the Internet!" The blonde woman was clearly furious, and the smaller woman hurried over to the computer.

Once the couple was sure that they were out of Mireille and Aurore's sight, they sighed, letting go of each other's hands. They were still slightly red-faced, but they were relieved.

" _Chaton?_ " Adrien asked, smirking, then nudged her elbow.

"I-I thought of it on the spot, okay? You own a flower shop called Chat Noir, it makes sense." Marinette explained, using her hands to elaborate.

It took him a moment, but then he asked, "So does that make you Bugaboo, or Buginette? How about LB? Maybe Princess works? I'm _certain_ that if I was a real prince and you were a real princess, I'd carry you away on my white horse." His companion's cheeks were boiling.

" _Minou_ , or should I say my prince?" she barely managed to ask. He shut up.

Marinette gave Adrien another glance, then took a deep breath, then asked, "Okay, but what's up with your last name, and how come all the owners so far know who you are? Have you already visited them?" Adrien flinched.

After a moment of silence, Marinette said, "I understand if it's a personal subject, so I'm sorry I brought it up. Just forget that I-"

"My last name is horrible." Adrien explained, before Marinette would start apologizing for the wrong thing. "And I don't mention it because like I said, it's influential. People get excited, and I _don't_ like it. I just want to be normal, and live a normal, peaceful life. One day… _one day_ I'll tell you, okay? Our friendship is still new, and I don't want you to treat me ' _specially_ ' or ' _delicately_ ' because of a stupid last name. I just want to be treated like a normal person."

She stood there for a moment, turning over the information in her head, wide-eyed.

So his last name was a sensitive topic. "Alright, I won't bother you about it anymore, and I'll treat you like a good friend, since that's what you want!" Marinette said cheerfully, smiling. Adrien couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash over himself.

"Shall we continue down the block?" Adrien asked, holding out his hand for her. Marinette delightfully took it, grinning.

* * *

 **VW: sorry for the wait! In between drawing, fixing computers, testing, writer's block, and the occasional cat cuddles, I've tried writing this up. I expect the next few chapters to be long and include more of the stores for them to visit. I also have this headcanon that Adrien doesn't really enjoy being a celebrity all that much and he just wants to be at least a little bit normal.**

 **Thanks for the reviews, favorites and follows so far! It means so much to me to see your feedback! Also, CircusP's new Gumi English song "Copycat" has influenced this chapter's question, as well as the next few.**

 **Fun fact of the chapter: in my Mother's Day oneshot, "Envelopes," I called Adrien's mother Aurélie (search the meaning, I think it fits in with our Mama Agreste headcanons.) I found out that there is a ballerina from the 80s named Aurélie Dupont (like Marinette and Adrien's school!)**

 **Answer of the last chapter: I would probably tattoo "Vera" on the nape of my neck. It was my great-grandma's name and it's my middle name.**

 **Question of the chapter: Copycat, Reflekta, Pharaoh, Dark Blade, or Stoneheart? (can you see the similarities between their powers/looks?)**


	4. AUTHORS NOTE

**VW: Hey guys, I'm very sorry for not updating in a while. I've had writer's block and finals recently, because I don't get out of school until next week. However, during summer break, I should be able to update often, or at least relatively consistently. Again, I'm sorry that this isn't an actual update, but please bare with me.**

 **Hugs and Cuddles,**

 **VocaloidWriter**


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